The anti-fake news bill will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday, according to the order paper.

The bill is first in line to be tabled tomorrow, for its first reading.

The idea for a new law against what the government calls "fake news" was mooted in January, when de facto law minister Azalina Othman Said announced that Putrajaya had formed a special committee to formulate laws to tackle it.

She said all stakeholders would be consulted on the issue of fake social media accounts created to spread false and inappropriate content that allegedly could adversely affect the country’s social and economic balance, as well as national security.

Read more: Your KiniGuide to navigating the perilous world of 'fake news'

However, critics of the proposed anti-fake news law are concerned that it could be used to stifle dissent and silence news critical of the government, including the 1MDB scandal.

This is after the Communications and Multimedia Deputy Minister Jailani Johari said any unverified 1MDB-related information will be considered fake news.

Putrajaya has repeatedly defended the proposed law against claims of stifling dissent.